A faint rustling sound. The black sand on the ground slowly shifted. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, yet the earth here remained black. Whenever the snowflakes descended, they were swept sideways toward the surrounding woods, as if an invisible force was pushing them away.
In the middle of this black land was a slowly sinking Quicksand Pit, where black grains of sand constantly fell inward. At the edge, Leonard Tang watched in silence, his eyes filled with desolation. He cradled Stanley Tang in his arms—Stanley's corpse had already turned black-green and swollen, with viscous, dark fluid dripping from it.
A whimpering sound arose. Stanley Tang's soul seemed to sense something and tried desperately to escape his corpse. Black mist seeped out from the body as Stanley struggled. His soul, now entirely black, emerged, flailing and sobbing, as if trying to break free.
“Stanley, are you truly willing? Will you just die like this? Is there nothing left that you’re attached to? If you trust your uncle, then stop struggling. I promise I’ll save you.”
Leonard released his grip, and Stanley’s corpse fell to the ground with a thud. Instantly, Stanley howled in agony. His soul tore free from his body, one hand raised, his face twisted in terror. Suddenly, countless black hands reached out from the Quicksand Pit, swarming over Stanley, dragging him down as he screamed.
Leonard Tang quietly watched the now-calm Quicksand Pit, then sat down beside it, deep in thought. Wraithshade had once told him this was the only way left to save Stanley, but he would have to rely on himself. For months, Wraithshade had prepared a powerful ritual.
The souls of those who died nearby would be drawn by the Wraith Casket, lured by the darkness emanating here. Eventually, they would be devoured by the ghostly pit created by the Wraith Casket. Inside, the wraiths would fight each other endlessly—dying and reviving, trapped between life and death. The power born here, if controlled, could grant mastery over one’s own fate.
But one had to endure the bites of the wraiths inside the pit. If Leonard Tang could withstand it and master this power, he would be saved.
Leonard Tang began to cough, his consciousness growing hazy. At that moment, an evil wraith floated over—the strongest under Wraithshade’s control, capable of feats other ghosts could not achieve.
“Will I truly be saved?”
Leonard Tang looked at the Evil Ghost, muttering in a sorrowful voice. Thick black blood oozed from his mouth, reeking of rot. Time was running out. Leonard had been at the Wraith Pit for a whole day, but it seemed he’d lost his courage. After witnessing his nephew’s soul suffer so much, he knew he might not be able to endure what lay ahead.
“When you think about it, hope is a truly terrifying thing. Not long ago, I had already given up on living.”
Leonard Tang raised his head, gazing at the drifting snowflakes, only to see them blown aside in midair. Hope was like these snowflakes—pure and beautiful, but it vanished the moment you tried to grasp it.
A chill swept over him. Leonard felt an icy hand rest on his shoulder and gently push him.
“Do you want me to go in too?”
The Evil Ghost nodded slightly, continuing to nudge Leonard Tang. Step by step, Leonard slid into the Quicksand Pit. There was no turning back.
“He’s still waiting for you. Only you can save him.”
Suddenly, the Evil Ghost spoke. Leonard Tang looked over in shock.
“Wraithshade isn’t already...”
“I can still sense him, waiting in the void and darkness. Answer his call—only then can you be saved.”
The Evil Ghost pointed at Leonard Tang. Memories of his past flooded Leonard’s mind. He had never been understood in life. Before Wraithshade appeared, the world seemed gray and directionless—a void filled only with powerlessness. That emptiness consumed Leonard’s heart.
Long ago, Leonard Tang sensed what Wraithshade was chasing: something cold, dark, and endless—a bottomless abyss. The Quicksand Pit before him felt like that abyss. If he jumped in, he’d learn the truth, but survival was uncertain.
Leonard Tang, always cautious, now faced a temptation greater than any before. The long-lost heat in his soul returned. He straightened his body, knees bent. The quicksand began to speed up, and even through his shoes, he could feel waves of cold air.
Suddenly, Leonard leaped up. He looked at the falling snow in the sky as his body plummeted downward. The sky was overcast—perhaps this was his last glimpse of the world.
A black eyepatch slowly floated upward. The Evil Ghost snatched it, and its form began to change.
“Thank you, Leonard Tang. It’s finally done! Mr. Wraithshade, isn’t it?”
A stream of black energy rose behind him, gradually taking human shape. Wraithshade stood behind the Evil Ghost.
“Ah, it’s finally complete. Welcome—you are the first member of the Ghost Syndicate.”
Wraithshade reached out. The Evil Ghost’s form began to shift, slowly taking on Leonard Tang’s appearance. In the right eye socket, a vortex spun like the Quicksand Pit, black energy swirling out. He put on the eyepatch, and the black mist vanished.
“This ritual was truly difficult to complete. From now on, you’ll be called Old One-Eye.”
Wraithshade glanced at the Quicksand Pit. It had returned to a calm state, but a bulge formed in the center. Suddenly, a corpse covered in sand flew out—it was Leonard Tang, dead. The Evil Ghost reached out, and Leonard’s body slowly drew closer, merging with him. Instantly, his once-blackened skin regained vitality. Leonard became normal again, as though resurrected, but his pallid face now carried a sinister edge.
“Mr. Wraithshade, you truly are a villain! Ruthless in pursuit of your goals, you deceived Leonard Tang for decades, making him willingly sacrifice himself. He’s probably still struggling, unaware that once you enter the Wraith Pit, there’s no way out.”
Excitement gleamed in Wraithshade’s eyes. He gazed at the sand pit, laughing uncontrollably.
“It feels wonderful! If you’re going to be a villain, you should go all the way, shouldn’t you?”
Old One-Eye nodded.
“I have no objection to your methods, but is it truly possible? Using Leonard Tang as the core of the Wraith Pit?”
Wraithshade nodded.
“I’ve studied him for a long time. He’s indeed suited to be the core of the Wraith Pit. I need a group of people to help me build the Ghost Syndicate.”
“Why do you love cold, dark things, yet wish to end the existence of ghosts?”
Wraithshade shook his head.
“I don’t know either, but it’s not about ending ghosts. When people die, they have a place to be buried. But when ghosts die, there’s no resting place for them. That’s all there is to it. Come, I’m heading to Grant City now, waiting for Yuna Ji’s death.”
Old One-Eye looked at Wraithshade in confusion.
“That girl is certainly strong, but is she really that valuable?”
“She’s worth more than Leonard Tang. I learned this after a long period of observation. This time, I’ll do nothing—just wait quietly.”
Old One-Eye looked at Wraithshade, still puzzled.
“It’s not just Yuna Ji. Those nine others are impressive too. That night, you really should have shown your true power and killed them. Wouldn’t it have been easy?”
Wraithshade stared silently at the western sky, then shook his head.
“If I revealed my true strength, I’d be the one who died.”
Old One-Eye stared at Wraithshade in shock.
“Why? They’re just ordinary people. They only have a bit of power to fight ghosts. If they challenged you...”
“It’s not that simple. I don’t want to disrupt my plans prematurely. Besides, I’ve received invitations from a group of people—or rather, there are four troublesome individuals. I never imagined such people existed, in places darker than any I’ve encountered.”
Old One-Eye spoke thoughtfully.
“So that’s why you nearly died, isn’t it?”
Wraithshade tore open his chest, and a faint emerald glow flickered. The wound revealed a beating heart—ordinary, yet unhealed.
“I wasn’t careless, nor did I intend to let them go easily. If I killed them, I’d stage another scene—Leonard Tang would still jump into the Wraith Pit. These instincts, these ten people—they’re genuine.”
“So you want the souls of those ten people?”
Wraithshade shook his head.
“I only need Yuna Ji’s soul. That’s what I want above all else. Now, let’s go—I need to recover. This wound hurts.”
The two quickly vanished into the woods. In a flash, the black Quicksand Pit disappeared, replaced by a snow-covered forest, eerily normal. A beast with a glowing emerald eye silently approached.
“So that’s how it is? Even more formidable than I imagined—this Wraithshade.”
Gradually, the beast began to change. Deathcurse appeared above the snow, drifting silently in the air, gazing into the distance. Threads of emerald green, like spider silk, seeped from its body, slowly flowing to the ground.